Systems and methods for facilitating data collection

Abstract

Customer management systems including a wireless puck device to facilitate concurrent communication with one or more customers having one or more customer user devices located within a certain range or proximity of a customer service point, the wireless puck device establishing a wireless connection with the customer user devices for data transfer, whereby the wireless puck device receives customer data, such as a customer or player identification number, the customer data either being stored in memory residing in the wireless puck device for subsequent communication with a customer management system or transmitted from the wireless puck device to the customer management system, wherein the wireless puck device and customer user device may further interact and communicate so that additional customer activity at the customer service point is associated with the customer and stored or transmitted to the customer management system. The customer management system may include a casino patron or player loyalty program management system and the customer service point may include a live table game operated at the casino.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A customer management system, comprising:
 a wireless puck device configured to be movable to a plurality of positions residing at a live gaming table, including a first position and a second position residing at the live gaming table, the wireless puck device including a data storage device and a data communication device being configured to facilitate concurrent communication with a customer playing in a game at the live gaming table having a customer user device located proximal to the first position, wherein movement of the wireless puck device to the first position establishes a wireless connection between the data communication device and the customer user device to enable data transfer between the data communication device and the customer user device, whereby the wireless puck device facilitates activation of a software application on the customer user device, the software application being configured to transmit a unique customer identification number to the data communication device, wherein the customer identification number is stored in the data storage device, the wireless puck device being further configured to form a data communication connection with a customer management system when moved to the second position, whereby the customer identification number for the customer is communicated to the customer management system. 
 
     
     
       2. The customer management system of  claim 1 , wherein data representing player activity at the live gaming table is received by the wireless puck device and associated with the customer responsive to the customer user device being located proximal to the live gaming table, wherein the data representing player activity is stored in the data storage device in association with the customer identification number. 
     
     
       3. The customer management system of  claim 2 , further comprising a third position residing at the live gaming table, wherein movement of the wireless puck device to the third position establishes a wireless connection between the data communication device and a second customer back-betting on a game at the live gaming table, the second customer having a second customer user device located proximal to the third position, whereby the wireless puck device facilitates activation of the software application on the second customer user device and the customer identification number for the second customer is stored in the data storage device.